The Tattooist Of Auschwitz: release date, cast, plot, trailer, first looks and everything you need to know

The Tattooist Of Auschwitz on Sky Atlantic sees Jonah Hauer-King in the lead role of Lale Sokolov.
The Tattooist Of Auschwitz on Sky Atlantic sees Jonah Hauer-King in the lead role of Lale Sokolov. (Image credit: Sky)

The Tattooist Of Auschwitz is a powerful drama series as it is set in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. Jonah Hauer-King, Anna Próchniak, Melanie Lynskey, Harvey Keitel and Jonas Nay will star in Peacock and Sky Atlantic's adaptation of Heather Morris’ bestselling novel The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

The drama follows the real-life story of Slovakian Jew Lali Sokolov (Hauer-King) who is imprisoned in Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland during World War Two, where he is given the role of tattooing identification numbers on the arms of his fellow prisoners. 

While doing so, Lali meets a young woman called Gita (Anna Próchniak) and their beautiful love story sees them both find light in the bleakest of places. Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets) will play New Zealand author Heather Morris, to whom older Lali (Harvey Keitel) told his story after Gita’s death, while Jonas Nay is an SS camp guard Stefan Baretzki. 

“It is a huge privilege to be telling Lali’s incredible story — one that he was so courageous to share,” says Jonah Hauer-King. “I have the utmost respect and admiration for his ability to find humanity and kindness in the most inhumane of places. These scripts heartbreakingly and vividly depict this appalling time in our history, and I feel proud to be honoring Lale and Gita’s remarkable journey.” 

Here’s everything you need to know about The Tattooist Of Auschwitz, which promises to be heart-wrenching and heart-warming in equal measure...

The Tattooist Of Auschwitz cast.

The Tattooist Of Auschwitz cast (from left) Jonah Hauer-King, Anna Próchniak, Melanie Lynskey and Jonas Nay. (Image credit: Sky)

The Tattooist Of Auschwitz release date

Sky and Peacock Original drama The Tattooist Of Auschwitz  launches on Thursday May 2 2024 on Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK, Ireland, Italy and Germany. In the US the series will  become available on NBC Universal streaming service Peacock.

STAN, Australia’s leading local streamer is taking the Original rights to the series in their territory, with VIAPLAY taking Viaplay Series rights for Nordics (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland), Baltics (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), the Netherlands and Poland.

Is there a trailer for The Tattooist of Auschwitz?

Yes a teaser trailer has been released for The Tattooist of Auschwitz which you can watch below...

What is the plot of The Tattooist of Auschwitz?

The Tattooist of Auschwitz tells the true story of Lali Sokolov (Jonah Hauer-King), a Slovakian Jewish man who, in 1942, was deported to Poland's infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during World War Two. There he is given the job of Tätowierer, with the task of tattooing identification numbers on his fellow prisoners’ arms. One day he meets Gita while tattooing her prison number, and so starts a courageous love story where both must take unfathomable risks in order to be together, survive and help their fellow prisoners. Under constant guard from a volatile Nazi SS officer Baretzki (Jonas Nay), Lali and Gita became determined to keep each other alive.

Around 60 years later, Lali (Harvey Keitel) is in his 80s and has the courage to tell the world his story to author Heather Morris (Melanie Lynskey), who turned the tale into a bestselling novel.  He must face the traumatic ghosts of his youth and relives his memories of falling in love in the most horrific of places.

There are holocaust horrors in The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

There are holocaust horrors in The Tattooist of Auschwitz... Jonah Hauer-King as Lev and Jonas Nay as Stefan Baretzki (at front) (Image credit: Sky)

The Tattooist of Auschwitz cast — Jonah Hauer-King as Lali Sokolov

Jonah Hauer-King plays Jewish captive Lali, who must tattoo his fellow prisoners in Auschwitz concentration camp. Jonah will soon be seen playing Prince Eric in the live-action Disney movie The Little Mermaid. He's previously starred in BBC1 dramas World on Fire and Howard’s End. He’s also had roles in Little Women, A Dog’s Way Home, Old Boys, Once Upon A Time in Staten Island and The Flatshare

Jonah Hauer-King as Lalei Sokolov.

Jonah Hauer-King as Lali Sokolov. (Image credit: Sky)

Jonah Hauer King in World On Fire.

Jonah Hauer-King (front) in World On Fire. (Image credit: BBC)

Anna Próchniak plays Gita Furman 

Anna Próchniak is playing Lale’s kind and brave girlfriend Gita. The Polish actress has also starred in Baptiste, The Innocents, Warsaw ’44 and Oleg

Anna says; “Reimagining Gita Sokolov and her story for screen has been one of the greatest honours of my career so far, as well as a heartrending experience. I know this won’t be an easy story to tell, but I will treat their story with the utmost respect."  

Anna Próchniak in Baptiste.

Anna Próchniak in Baptiste. (Image credit: BBC)

Melanie Lynskey as Heather Morris

Melanie Lynskey plays author Heather Morris who turned Lale’s story into a bestseller. Her acting debut was in the film Heavenly Creatures and she’s gone on to star in Yellowjackets, The Last of Us, Don’t Look Up, Young Sheldon and Two and a Half Men. She’s also starred in Coyote Ugly, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Castle Rock and Candy

Melanie says: “After  the horrors experienced at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the continuation of Lale and Gita Sokolov’s story is finding their new home, and it was years later in Australia Lale felt comfortable to share his story with New Zealand author Heather Morris. As a New Zealand storyteller in my own way, it is a privilege to be a part of the furthering of Lale’s and Gita’s heart-breaking, yet heart-warming story."

Harvey Keitel and Melanie Lynskey in The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

Harvey Keitel and Melanie Lynskey as Lali and author Heather in The Tattooist of Auschwitz. (Image credit: Sky)

The main four surviving adults in Yellowjackets season 1 stand in the woods

Melanie Lynskey (2nd from left) in Yellowjackets season 1. (Image credit: Brendan Meadows/SHOWTIME)

Jonas Nay as Stefan Baretzki

Jonas Nay plays Stefan Baretzki who was an SS guard at Auschwitz-Birkenau in charge of Lale Sokolov. The German actor has also starred in the Deutschland 83, 86, 89 series, Line of Separation, The Accidental Rebel and The Four of Us

Deutschland 83

Jonas Nay in Deutschland 83. (Image credit: Channel 4)

 Harvey Keitel as older Lali Sokolov

Harvey Keitel (The Irishman, Youth) plays the modern-day Lali Sokolov as an older man. Around 60 years after the war, Harvey's Lale meets novice writer Heather Morris (Melanie Lynskey). Recently widowed, Lale finds the courage to tell the world his story. In recounting his story to Heather, Lale, in his 80s, faces the traumatic ghosts of his youth and relives his memories of falling in love in the most horrific of places.

Harvey Keitel says of The Tattooist of Auschwitz: "The love story in this project, in the face of the horror, gives testimony to the spirit and the goodness of people."

Harvey Keitel as older Lale Sokolov.

Harvey Keitel as older Lale Sokolov in The Tattooist of Auschwitz. (Image credit: Sky)

Harvey Keitel.

Harvey Keitel is playing Lale Sokolov as an older man. (Image credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

Who else is starring in The Tattooist Of Auschwitz

Also starring in The Tattooist Of Auschwitz are Tallulah Haddon (Kiss Me First, The Last Duel) as Hanna, Mili Eshet (Beyond the Mountains, Hills) as Ivana, Yali Topol Margalith in her first screen role as Cilka, Phénix Brossard (Little Joe, Benjamin) as Leon, Ilan Galkoff (Good Omens, Hilda) as Aaron, and Marcel Sabat (Tenet, The Windermere Children) as Tomas.

Soundtrack for The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Multi-Academy Award®-winning composer Hans Zimmer (Inception, Interstellar, Dune) and Kara Talve (Prehistoric Planet) will compose the score for this adaptation of The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

Hans Zimmer, who is best known for his iconic soundtracks to movies The Lion King, Rain Man, Gladiator, and The Dark Knight, will work alongside Kara Talve who is set to score Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming project, Faraway Downs, and is part of Bleeding Fingers, an Emmy-winning and BAFTA-nominated composer collective that was co-founded by Zimmer.

Hans Zimmer says: "Within the depths of Auschwitz, here is a story of hope and love, that transcends boundaries and resonates with the very essence of our humanity. I stand humbled to be part of this extraordinary production and both Kara and I are deeply privileged to compose this score. We invite you to join us on this journey, as we celebrate the human spirit and the power of hope within the darkest corners of history.”

Kara Talve says: “This is a dream project for me; not only does it challenge me artistically but also deeply resonates personally. Like millions of others, my family perished in the camps and to have the privilege to work alongside this incredibly talented team and help bring this story of hope to life has been a unique chance to reflect and as it stands has been the most honorable undertaking of my career thus far.”

Is there a trailer for The Tattooist Of Auschwitz?

As The Tattooist Of Auschwitz has only recently started filming there's no trailer just yet. We'll update here when it arrives.

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Nicholas Cannon
TV Content Director on TV Times, What's On TV and TV & Satellite Week

I'm a huge fan of television so I really have found the perfect job, as I've been writing about TV shows, films and interviewing major television, film and sports stars for over 25 years. I'm currently TV Content Director on What's On TV, TV Times, TV and Satellite Week magazines plus Whattowatch.com. I previously worked on Woman and Woman's Own in the 1990s. Outside of work I swim every morning, support Charlton Athletic football club and get nostalgic about TV shows Cagney & Lacey, I Claudius, Dallas and Tenko. I'm totally on top of everything good coming up too.